happiness

[CSwriter1]

What makes you happy? Are you sure you know what makes you happy?

Happiness and unhappiness both appear to be equally irrational. Today I am overwhelmed with with unexpected happiness. I headed to my garden to see how well the soil turns over to so my suprise come home very happy after working on my garden plot.

I am still remembering how overwhelmed with the work load, I felt last year, and how glad I was when the end of the season came, and I knew it would be a long time before I returned to my community graden plot. I seriously debated with myself about paying for another year, knowing how hard the work is, and that it is really easier to buy food from the grocery store. Not only easier, but the quality of some vegetables in the store is much better than what I grew in my garden. I am spending a small fortune on my garden, so it probably is cheaper to just buy food as well. So why am I estatically happy about turning soil over, and thinking about how much money and work I want to put in my garden this year?

I also visit with the elderly, and get joy from this. But when I sit home day after day, I can begin to feel unhappy, even though I am free to do whatever I want to do. That just doesn't make sense to me.

[...]

..there is happiness here when there's nothing that distracts me from it, and when that is the case, anything can add to the joy of being happy...

[sam]

I also visit with the elderly, and get joy from this. But when I sit home day after day, I can begin to feel unhappy, even though I am free to do whatever I want to do. That just doesn't make sense to me.

i believe that one of the joys of happiness is having some one to share the feeling with

[sonrisa]

CS you working in the garden already? Lucky you!

we got the White Death here. It came last week- to the day infact- & caused a Level 3 emergency before it finally started melting away over the weekend. Now, as we're digging out, it comes again this afternoon! Ugh!! Course it's sposed to melt away again over this coming weekend- but for what? Round 3 next Tues? Arrgh!!

what would make me happy is for this crap to stay up at the North Pole where it belongs.

but the groundhog saw his shadow yesterday so I guess that won't be happening for another 6 weeks....

[CSwriter1]

CS you working in the garden already? Lucky you!

we got the White Death here. It came last week- to the day infact- & caused a Level 3 emergency before it finally started melting away over the weekend. Now, as we're digging out, it comes again this afternoon! Ugh!! Course it's sposed to melt away again over this coming weekend- but for what? Round 3 next Tues? Arrgh!!

what would make me happy is for this crap to stay up at the North Pole where it belongs.

but the groundhog saw his shadow yesterday so I guess that won't be happening for another 6 weeks....

Our nice weather didn't last. We aren't as cold as you, but it is definately cold again, and some rain. We are fighteningly short of rain this year and have had more really cold days. Normally our cloud cover gives a gentle degree of warmth.

Back to happiness, Jefferson wrote of the pursuit of happiness. Surely he was literate in the classics, Aristotle and Cicero.

Aristotle writes, "If, as we have declared, it is our activities that give life its character, then no happy man can become miserable, inasmuch as he will never do what is hateful or base. For we hold that truly good and wise man will bear with dignity whatever fortune sends, and will always make the best of his circumstances, as a good general makes the most effective use of the forces at his command, and a good shoemaker makes the best shoes out of the leather that is available, and so in the case of the other crafts. On this interpretation, the happy man can never become miserable- although of course he will not be blessed with happiness in the full sense of the word if he meets with such a fate as Priam's....

Since happiness is a certain activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue, we must next examine the nature of virtue.....By human virtue we mean virtue not of the body but of the soul, and by happiness too we mean an activity of soul....."

[kris]

I see happiness as a state of being rather than as an activity of any kind. It is hard to say what makes one happy. But I think non-fulfillment of desires makes one unhappy. Perhaps, happiness then is absence of unhappiness.

[sonrisa]

we got the nice weather now. Infact today has been downright balmy. A beautiful day! I had the kitchen door open for the first time since the Holidaze. It's supposed to be nice all week. Temperaturewise anyhow. I think it's supposed to rain later on this week, but like you say CS, it's the cloud cover that's keeps us warm during the winter.

I'm happy when I'm making something, whether it's artwork or dinner. I guess I just like to create things.

[scameter]

I would define happiness as the state one is in when experiencing an enjoyable or approved-of feeling or emotion, such as pleasure, love, peace, erotic arousal, etc., which induce a state of mind in which one's focus is on something pleasant or positive (and by positive I don't mean good or useful, as negative emotions are quite useful too), or if one deems a negative emotion as something pleasant, such as the rush of fear from a horror movie or the adrenaline anger often used in sports. But, this is more of a guess. I could also be said that happiness is our natural mental state, which is calm, emotionless peace.

[CSwriter1]

we got the nice weather now. Infact today has been downright balmy. A beautiful day! I had the kitchen door open for the first time since the Holidaze. It's supposed to be nice all week. Temperaturewise anyhow. I think it's supposed to rain later on this week, but like you say CS, it's the cloud cover that's keeps us warm during the winter.

I'm happy when I'm making something, whether it's artwork or dinner. I guess I just like to create things.

I read creativity can end depression. I think it is an important element to happiness, however, creating negative thoughts (worrying), isn't conducive to happiness. Perhaps the creativity that works best is a creative project, as you say. Old text about health habits stressed the importance of having a hobby.

We got snow. It didn't last, but my gosh, it was nasty outside. A terrible cold wind was blowing. And speaking of weather, warm sunny days, lift my spirits. I get down right euphoric on a warm, sunny day and have to pay attention to be my judgement. I can be foolish, on warm, sunny days, and this is contrasted with the fearfulness, I often experience in cold, wet weather.

[CSwriter1]

Kriss and Scameter, I think we can all agree happiness is a state of being, and it something we can share. When we hear something good has happened for someone else, we can feel the happiness, we can also feel sad when hearing of something sad. I rather watch movies with another person, than by myself. I enjoy the freedom of being single, but somedays think, I would like to share my life with someone.

Aristotle says a lot about happiness. He associates it with being virtuous. "...we remark here that even if happiness is not god-sent but comes as a result of virtue or some kind of learning or training, still it is evidently one of the most divine things in the world, because that which is the reward as well as the end and aim of virtuous conduct must evidently be of supreme excellence, something divine and most blessed. If this is the case, happiness must further be something that can be generally shared; for with the exception of those whose capacity for virtue has been stunted or mained, everyone will have the ability, by study and diligence, to aquire it. And if it is better that happiness should be aquired in this way than by chance, we may reasonably suppose that it happens so; because everthing in nature is arranged in the best way possible- just as in the case of man-made products, and of every kind of causation, especially the highest. It would be altogether wrong that what is greatest and noblest in the world should be left to the dispensation of chance."

[Thomas Knierim]

Gardening is pretty much an all-year occupation here in the tropics. However, the time from February to April is special, because it's the blossoming season for many tropical plants. There is an extraordinary exuberance of colours. Some examples: Plumeria, Codiaeum Stewartii, Cassia Fistula, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea. These are all plants which were at some point part of our garden, among many others.

And yes, a tropical garden somehow inexplicably contributes to my happiness level.

Cheers, Thomas

[CSwriter1]

Gardening is pretty much an all-year occupation here in the tropics. However, the time from February to April is special, because it's the blossoming season for many tropical plants. There is an extraordinary exuberance of colours. Some examples: Plumeria, Codiaeum Stewartii, Cassia Fistula, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea. These are all plants which were at some point part of our garden, among many others.

And yes, a tropical garden somehow inexplicably contributes to my happiness level.

Cheers, Thomas

When you write of your home, I am so tempted to pack my bags and move to your community. You also encouraged me to call on a small house for rent, down the road from where I live. If I moved there, I would have a yard to care for. I am so afraid I will regret moving, and yet, to have a yard that I can turn into my own little piece of paradise is so tempting, especially after reading your post and looking at your pictures. On the other hand, I am older and my body isn't so friendly, so the yard work could soon be too much for me. Right now I can walk to my community garden plot down the road, but it isn't the same as having a home in the middle of my little piece of paradise. Oh, oh, what to do?

[Trevor]

Hi CSwriter1! I saw your recent lament on your last post and a flash-like lightbulb idea came to me. Why not have a community garden or something similar, at the new property that you're thinking of moving to? But in this case whether or not you choose for the gardeners to pay or just play is totally up to you, and you can invite people that you became friendly with at the other community garden. This will help you because you can enjoy their company and exchange gardening ideas, and they can help you to create your garden of Eden.
I was considering the question of happiness, and I am beginning to realize that nutrition plays a vital role in this pursuit. I am trying to switch to a vegetarian based diet, because I feel the results on a physical level and that creates a better overall mindset. Wish me luck.
Thomas, I used to be a florist and those two pictures on the bottom of your last post are my favourite.

[sonrisa]

lovely pix Thomas! Just looking at them makes me happy :)

[CSwriter1]

Hi CSwriter1! I saw your recent lament on your last post and a flash-like lightbulb idea came to me. Why not have a community garden or something similar, at the new property that you're thinking of moving to? But in this case whether or not you choose for the gardeners to pay or just play is totally up to you, and you can invite people that you became friendly with at the other community garden. This will help you because you can enjoy their company and exchange gardening ideas, and they can help you to create your garden of Eden.
I was considering the question of happiness, and I am beginning to realize that nutrition plays a vital role in this pursuit. I am trying to switch to a vegetarian based diet, because I feel the results on a physical level and that creates a better overall mindset. Wish me luck.
Thomas, I used to be a florist and those two pictures on the bottom of your last post are my favourite.

I decided not to move, but the idea of sharing garden space on that property might have been a pleasant benefit for the neighborhood. I think a shared garden is always a pleasant benefit. Where I am, several neighbors want to enjoy my garden plot, but the don't want to do the work that these plots require. Just a day of gardening.

Last year, I gave away much food, and supplied food for shared dinners, which another nieghor cooked. Unlike money which we can hold for a long time, food has to be eaten before it rots, and this motivates a person to give it away. When all the friends start turning down the zucchini, finding more people to take the food can be a challenge. How do I say? This is a different conscousness than we usually have, trying to find others to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

I like feeling close to nature, as I do when I garden. I like to believe I can survive without all the modern conveniences, and know I need to learn about gardening before I can be confident of having the adequate survival skill. The way our economy is going, I want to keep the plot in case it does become important to my family's survival. Hum, that makes security an important part of happiness. Sharing and security and learning, and the satisfaction of getting a return on my labor, all contribute to my happiness.

[Thomas Knierim]

We will soon move to our new home with roughly 700 sqm garden. Though I like garden work, I doubt that I will have the time to maintain it myself. Fortunately we have someone to help with that. Next week we will lay Malay grass and install a sprinkler system. I am still looking for suitable shade trees to plant. Rather than planting seedlings, we will plant semi-grown trees which are 5-10 years old and which are available from the local nurseries. My wife prefers fruit trees; I prefer flowering trees. Unfortunately, I can't think of any tropical fruit tree with nice flowers.

Cheers, Thomas

[sonrisa]

smart wife. Fruit trees produce food!

can you grow peaches? I know they're not tropical- probably sub-tropical- but my Dad used to grow them & the blossoms were pretty, imho.

[CSwriter1]

We will soon move to our new home with roughly 700 sqm garden. Though I like garden work, I doubt that I will have the time to maintain it myself. Fortunately we have someone to help with that. Next week we will lay Malay grass and install a sprinkler system. I am still looking for suitable shade trees to plant. Rather than planting seedlings, we will plant semi-grown trees which are 5-10 years old and which are available from the local nurseries. My wife prefers fruit trees; I prefer flowering trees. Unfortunately, I can't think of any tropical fruit tree with nice flowers.

Cheers, Thomas

Orange trees produce lovely flowers that smell so good, the scent can be used for perfume.

Today, I want to say happiness is doing something we don't think we can do and living to tell about it. I picked up, half pick up load of dirt and shoved it out myself. I carried it in a small wagon to my garden and dumped it. It took many trips to get the job done. To many of you this may seem like no big deal, but I am 62 and have physcial problems. I didn't think I could do it, but I did it all by myself, and planted lettuce seeds before leaving the garden. I hope it rains soon so my lettuce will grow.

Tonight, I will enjoy more happiness, soaking my very sore body is a hot tub with espon salt, while listening to gentle music. Right now, I hurt so much I can barely walk across the room, but in away it feels good, because it means I won. My competitor is that devil old age, and he hasn't gotten me down yet. I win. I win.

[CSwriter1]

Natal Plum is a colorful plant. The fruit is plum colored and while the fruit is on the plant, so are white flowers.

It was fun googling flowering tropical plants. You can get many plants shipped to you. Here is a site for all kinds of tropical plants: http://shop.tropicalfruit.com/Exotic-Fruit_c_58-2-0.html

How wonderful to have the land to create one's own garden of Eden.

[schrodinger]

Natal Plum is a colorful plant. The fruit is plum colored and while the fruit is on the plant, so are white flowers.

It was fun googling flowering tropical plants. You can get many plants shipped to you. Here is a site for all kinds of tropical plants: http://shop.tropicalfruit.com/Exotic-Fruit_c_58-2-0.html

How wonderful to have the land to create one's own garden of Eden.

Yes. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a piece of land to grow many kinds of plants on. I have a bit too much land to take care of it all properly, so I am starting to experiment with "earth boxes." Has anyone here ever tried these?

[Thomas Knierim]

Hm, never heard of or seen Natal Plum here in Thailand. Probably they don't grow here. Peaches and apricots would be nice -I know them from Spain- but it's far too humid here to grow these.

Meanwhile, the lawn is laid and the sprinklers are installed. I enjoy watering the lawn in the early morning and watching the sprinklers firing while having a cup of green tea. Some areas have to be watered manually.

We've also planted the obligatory Plumeria and Mango trees, which are part of every Thai garden. In addition we've planted hibiscus, jasmine, jackfruit and several palm species. Next are heliconia along the front wall and maybe bird of paradise and several ginger species.

I saw two snakes on our property in just three weeks. One of them is still hiding in the stock room. Got to do something about the irrigation canal next to us, cause that's where they are coming from.

I never heard about earth boxes, but it looks like something you could build yourself for $10 rather than purchasing it for $42. Since they are stackable, it seems more like a solution for having not enough land, rather than having too much of it.

Cheers, Thomas

[CSwriter1]

So how is your landscaping going?

Thomas, could you build a hot house for the purpose of keeping fruit trees in a drier climate? You could use the miniature variety of trees. Then you could delight your neighbors with fruit that might be hard to get? I just love seeing what we can do, when the doing is seemingly impossible.

This year I got a freezer for the produce that comes from my garden. That adds another $10 to my electric bill. I don't know if gardening and freezing food is cost effect, for my circumstances, but I do get satisfaction from knowing my horde of food is the result of my own labor. Also it makes good friends when I can give my neighbor's things from my garden, and some of them give me excellent cooked food in return.

[Thomas Knierim]

So how is your landscaping going?

Hello CSwriter, nice to hear from you.

The garden is maturing... mostly without my participation. I've been fighting some plant diseases and bugs lately. Otherwise we have a gardener who comes every three weeks to cut the lawn and clip the trees. Earlier this year I laid a path of stepping stones around the house, so we won't get wet feet in the rainy season.

I suppose I could build a glass house to create a more arid climate inside, but that seems an awful lot of trouble to grow fruit trees. So far we have kept with the local varieties and we have delighted the neighbours (and ourselves) with a rich papaya harvest this year. Unfortunately, half of the trees were destroyed in the monsoon.

Cheers, Thomas

[sonrisa]

Hm, never heard of or seen Natal Plum here in Thailand. Probably they don't grow here. Peaches and apricots would be nice -I know them from Spain- but it's far too humid here to grow these.

Cheers, Thomas

--Cincinnati is humid as all get out. If we can grow peaches here, you can grow them in Thailand. Apricots are another story, they do need a semi-arid climate to grow. I saw Chiang Mai on one of those travelogue shows te other nite. Beautiful city. Very colorful. :thumbsup: